Dear Shayna B.,

I have a huge huge issue. My friend, Envious Estee, is really jealous of my other friend, Anxious Arnie. Every time Estee and Arnie are together, Estee talks about how much she wants stuff like Arnie has. It makes Arnie really uncomfortable, but he is too anxious to say anything. I hate seeing him uncomfortable. What should I do?

Thank you,
Worried Wanda

Dear Worried Wanda,

I honestly think that Arnie has to fight his own battles. It is really nice that you want to help; however, you can’t control Arnie’s decisions and you can’t control Estee’s. I do think that if Estee isn’t a nice person, you should stop hanging out with her. However, if she is nice, and Arnie is just too shy to discuss his problems with her, you can help Arnie out by talking to him first about how to approach Estee. You can say to Arnie, “Hey, Arnie, if Estee is making you feel bad, you know you can tell her to stop.”

And boom, Arnie’s dilemma… has just been solved! Sometimes a short convo can go a long way!

BOL,

Shayna B.

Shayna B. is a 6th grader and knows what kids in elementary school and middle school are going through. She can be reached at [email protected]. She’s looking forward to hearing from you!